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This episode contains candid descriptions of human rights violations against LGBTQ+ people in Chechnya. Listener discretion is advised. Tanya Lokshima is the associate director for Human Rights Watch’s Europe and Central Asia division, based in Moscow. She has extensively covered and exposed the human-rights abuses against LGBTQ+ people in Russia/Chechnya throughout her career. You can follow her work here.

Background information:

• New Yorker article exposing the anti-gay purges in Chechnya
• Welcome to Chechnya documentary
• Information on Halimat Tarmova
• Information on the Russian LGBT Network — the organization helping LGBTQ+ flee persecution

You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. 

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This episode contains candid descriptions of sexual abuse and child molestation — listener discretion is advised. In this episode, Shaun T tells his story of surviving child molestation by his mother’s boyfriend. He discusses how he forgave his abuser and ultimately learned to forgive himself. He also shares how his experiences made him a better partner, father, and person.

Shaun T is one of the most iconic fitness influencers in the world. His message of trust and believe has flourished into an entire brand that has impacted millions of lives.

If you or someone you know is being or has been sexually abused, and would like help, please find resources below:

• National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1.800.656.HOPE
• Chat with a trained specialist RAINN.org
• Resources for survivors and allies

You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. 

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What’s it like recovering from a stroke where you lost everything? Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor shares her journey of how experiencing a near-death brain hemorrhage helped her achieve inner peace. Her new book “Whole Brain Living” describes how we can all achieve connectedness, love, and healing by training our brains.

Get connected with Dr. Jill below.

• watch her TED talk here
• watch her Oprah interview here
• purchase “Whole Brain Living"

You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. 

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Why do we fear death and dying so much? What is it like to stare it in the face with a diagnosis of Cancer?

In this episode, children's author Sharon Frances and her partner Matthew Rodriguez openly discuss their personal experiences with Cancer. Sharon is a Breast Cancer survivor while Matthew lost his last wife to Throat Cancer. They are the co-founders of the Well Beings Studio, a non profit using the arts to help children with Cancer express themselves.

You can read their books here:

• Little Green Monster: Cancer Magic! By Sharon Frances (formerly Chappell)
• Wet Wings: Poetry through Breast Cancer, By Sharon Frances (formerly Chappell)
• Shifting with the Tides: Yoga Poems for All Ages, By Sharon Frances (formerly Chappell)
• Scoops of Joy, By Matthew Rodriguez and Sharon Frances

References to Windows and Mirrors in children’s literature:

• Emily Seed, 1988, Curriculum as Window and Mirror
• Diversity in Children’s Literature with Windows and Mirrors

You can support Unshaming at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. 

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This episode contains discussion around eating disorders and suicidal thoughts. Millions of men suffer from the pain of body image standards but rarely speak out due to the stigma of weakness attached to asking for help. In this episode, an Unshaming listener — Antonio Lombardi — shares his 20 year struggle with body image, eating disorders, and toxic masculinity. 

If you or someone you know would like to receive help or information regarding eating disorders, please visit the links below.

• National Eating Disorder Association
• National Institute of Mental Health — Eating Disorders 

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Mentalhealth.org reports that 1 in 5 adults feels "disgusting" about their bodies. How do we break free from the toxic cycle of body shaming ourselves? How do we create peace with our body image? Allison Ross,  eating and body image therapist and author of "Non-Dieting: How to Love your Body and Be Healthy in Diet Culture" discusses:

• the origins of body image issues
• body neutrality
• understanding the role of social media in our body image issues

You can support the show at patreon.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. 

Producers/Editors: Jor Gonsalves & Sam Stone

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This episode contains explicit language around experiences with racial slurs. Tony Lee is a 27-year-old Asian-American journalist for NBC News. He has reported on COVID-19 and the rise in Anti-Asian hate attacks in depth. In this episode, he discusses his experiences growing up Asian-American in the United States, being fetishized as a gay Asian man, and the complexities of being an Asian-American journalist in 2021.

You can support the show at patron.com/unshaming. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com. 

Episode Producers/Editors: Jor Gonsalves & Sam Stone.

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What is it like dismantling everything you believe in for your authentic self? In this episode, we explore the freedom and devastation that comes with relinquishing your former life. A letter from an Unshaming listener, this touching story about choosing yourself surrounds Anna Mouchref's decision to leave Islam. #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.

Letter Author: Anna Mouchref
Episode Producers/Editors: Jor Gonsalves & Sam Stone

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Quan Huynh murdered another human being in gang related violence and was charged with second degree murder in 1999. He entered prison without remorse and left prison, a changed man. His story is not about his crime though — it's about his transformation during his 22 years in prison: humanizing himself as a person with grief, ambitions, and potential.  He is the bestselling author of Sparrow in the Razor Wire: Finding Freedom from Within While Serving a Life Sentence.  He now works as the senior post release program manager for Defy Ventures, a non profit helping those with a criminal past transform their lives through entrepreneurship.  #StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.

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Barb Zablotney was crowned Miss Wheelchair Pennsylvania in 2018. After a tragic car accident in 2007 that left her paralyzed from the waste down, she became a fierce advocate for women with disabilities. Although 61 million Americans live with a disability, why is that we know so little about this community? In this episode, Barb candidly shares how she navigates her daily routine, seeing friends, dating, and sex. She opens up about her own internalized ableism and how able bodied people can be more inclusive of folks with disabilities.

This episode contains graphic descriptions of Barb's car accident  from 4:54 — 6:52.


#StayUnshaming with us at instagram.com/unshaming and unshamingpodcast.com.